Syringe feeding causing mats/clumps around mouth?

[catlover777]

Hi all,

My cat, Brownie, has CKD and has lost her appetite (we are working on this ) but until then, we are syringe feeding her with a plastic syringe.

I feed her on one side of her mouth, and that's where I noticed some dark brown/black clumps (see pics). I made the mistake of brushing through the clumps without wetting them or anything and it pulled her fur out

Does anyone have similar experience and solutions for this? We have made an appt with her vet because my family member is very paranoid about it but I suspect it's a combination of cat acne due to the plastic syringe mixed with the fact that her food sometimes drips out of her mouth and we didn't think to clean it because we thought her licking her chops was enough.

Please let me know if you've seen something similar!

Thank you!

 

[maggie101]

My cat had acne under her chin. The vet gave her wipes. If you use ceramic bowls be sure to always clean the bowls or use stainless steel

 

[catlover777]

My cat had acne under her chin. The vet gave her wipes. If you use ceramic bowls be sure to always clean the bowls or use stainless steel

We're syringe feeding her and she drinks from a stainless steel bowl. Did your cat's acne present itself in a similar way?

 

[maggie101]

We're syringe feeding her and she drinks from a stainless steel bowl. Did your cat's acne present itself in a similar way?

Yes it did

 

[neely]

Ouch, the area looks badly irritated. Until you can see the vet can you feed Brownie on the other side of her mouth?

In the meantime, to help with healing and reducing irritation, try this home remedy, courtesy of Mamanyt1953 "Buy a box of chamomile tea bags in the coffee/tea aisle of the grocery store. Get PLAIN chamomile, no blends, which will be clearly marked. I recommend the commercial bags because they are all 100% German chamomile, which is medicinally active and safe for cats. The English variety which is popular in gardens is pretty useless medicinally, and TOXIC to cats...brew a cup of the tea, and chill it in the fridge (it will keep in there for about 3 days)...For external use, simply dip a cotton ball or clean, soft cloth in the tea, and swab it on the area. The tea has both soothing and healing properties, and can be dabbed on the skin multiple times a day. It won't cure what is causing the issue, but it should help to make her feel better.

I'm sorry to hear about her CKD diagnosis. Please keep us posted after your visit to the vet.